Will Blue Jays reliever Erik Swanson pitch in 2025?

The issue prevented Swanson from a planned minor league rehab outing earlier this week, and the good news is that initial tests revealed no structural damage.

However, Swanson told The Athletic's Mitch Bannon and other reporters that more tests are set for Monday, as it hasn't yet been determined what exactly is causing the forearm discomfort.

Swanson had some bouts with forearm soreness at a few different points in his career, such as in each of the last two Spring Trainings, and also a minor strain that sent him to the injured list for a little over three weeks during the 2020 season when he was pitching with the Mariners.

According to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, Swanson will get a second opinion as the team looks for the source of the issue. In the meantime, he'll play catch on Thursday as he continues his recovery.

The 31-year-old began the season on the injured list due to median nerve entrapment in his pitching elbow that flared up in spring training.

It is the second straight year that Swanson has dealt with injuries to begin the season.

Once he returned to the field in 2024, the six-foot-three right-hander struggled and was eventually optioned to triple-A Buffalo.

Upon his return, however, Swanson flashed the form that made him so effective in 2023. Over his final 24.2 innings of 2024, he pitched to a 2.55 ERA and 27 strikeouts.

Though the medicals have been clean so far on his current issue, obviously all parties will be cautious in dealing with any forearm-related injury.

In the short term, the problem has delayed Swanson's recovery, and adds more uncertainty over when exactly the reliever will make his 2025 debut.